75th Emmy Awards: Bold colours and sculptural gowns continue to dominate red carpet trends

Awards season is well underway, returning to its typically bustling form after last year’s relatively quiet, strike-imposed period. As such, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards finally landed last night following a four-month delay, almost half a year after the first nominations were announced.

Two thirds of the ceremony had already taken place earlier this month, each dedicated to the creative arts. While guest actors, casting and technical operations were also honoured, the evenings were predominantly centred around costuming and beauty for the leading shows of the year. Here, Daisy Jones & The Six, House of the Dragon, Beef and Wednesday were among those out in front, winning in their respective costume and make-up categories for both of the evenings.

When it came to the core ceremony, however, all eyes were on the attendees and nominees themselves, who graced the red – or in this case grey – carpet in all their usual glamour. Coming right on the heels of the Critics Choice Awards the night before, the chaos of this jam-packed award’s season didn’t seem to have had a visible impact on TV’s leading stars. FashionUnited takes a quick look at some of the stand-out gowns from the event.

Bold colours all around

In keeping with the general consensus seen among recent award shows, bold colours remained central to the overarching dress theme. Vibrant hues of peach pink, electric blue and deep purples were just some that took the floor, standing bold against the backdrop of a grey carpet. Jessica Chastain, who was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology series, stood out in particular with her choice of a lime green Gucci look, custom designed by the brand’s new creative director Sabato De Sarno. The V-neck gown lay in a sleek silhouette that was covered head-to-toe in beaded fringe and sequins. Beef’s Ali Wong, the winner of Chastain’s respective category, was another to dazzle in sparkles, albeit the sequin boat-neck top was ultimately contrasted with a floral embroidered skirt.

Akin to its dominance at both the Golden Globes and the Critics Choice Awards, scarlet red was another well-favoured hue, donned by Katherine Heigl, Lisa Ann Walter and Sarah Snook, among many others. It was also the choice of Daisy Jones & The Six stars Camila Morrone and Suki Waterhouse – the former opting for a floor-sweeping Versace number with a structured bodice, the latter showing off her baby bump in a voluminous Valentino Haute Couture piece from the brand’s SS23 Le Club Couture collection.

Versace backs sultry tones

Versace continued its presence at the awards ceremony through further attendees. Taraji P. Henson stayed true to her role in the series The Colour Purple, opting for a deep-mauve dress, with angular cutouts and a fluid, micro-draped bodice. Similarly, Rachel Brosnahan also stuck to a sultry purple hue, opting for a piece that bore resemblance to a dress from Versace’s SS95 collection. This could be seen in the incorporation of a panelled bustier and lace-up details, as well as the brand’s signature Medusa shoulder straps.

Sensuous colourways continued for other attendees too. Dior dressed Elizabeth Debicki, who played the late Princess Diana in The Crown, in a dark burgundy Haute Couture piece, matching the sleek velvet with complementary yellow gold accessories of Dior Joaillerie. Juliette Lewis’ blood red halter neck gown, meanwhile, descended from Moschino’s pre-fall ‘24 collection, and again adopted the colour of the season through the use of heavy beading.

Sculptural gowns make waves

Some of the most eye-catching gowns of the evening were those that took on more sculptural forms. From Lisa Ann Walter’s deconstructed fish-tail Greta Constantine look to the Loewe creation for Aubrey Plaza, complete with what appeared to be a pinned up post-it note in place of a neckline, attendees really kept us guessing as to what to expect. There were also more classic shapes, such as full A-lines, that still prevailed, however, as exhibited by Dior’s dusky pink look for Quinta Brunson in a crushed silk material. The White Lotus’ Simona Tabasco, meanwhile, also opted for a full skirt by SS24 Marni, for which the silhouette had been elevated with a pieced-together floral collage.

Another standout was Wednesday actress Jenna Ortega, who took to the grey carpet in a strapless Dior dress with a caged skirt that had been adorned in silver soutache trellis, wisteria, and clematis garlands. This heavily contrasted the rigid structure of Louis Vuitton’s look for The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri. Yet, while the black leather gown may have appeared a world away from Ortega’s whimsical robe, Edebiri’s also drew inspiration from flowers, taking the 3D shape of a tulip as inspiration to form the skirt.

Frills and flares were among the other details favoured among Emmy attendees. For Kathryn Hahn, this came in the form of a Dior Haute Couture two-piece ensemble, which paired an organza shirt with a sheer A-line skirt, embellished with texturised florals and a sprinkle of sparkle. The White Lotus’ Jennifer Coolidge took a similar approach, opting for an Etro number that stayed true to the brand’s typically bohemian essence. The matching blouse and maxi skirt combo brought together flares and over-the-top ruffles, and was finished off with a subtle all over print across the lightweight tulle.

Saint Laurent’s gothic-chic

While fluorescence and flair seemed to be the way to go for many, Saint Laurent’s take on the award show dress-code was decidedly – and refreshingly – disparate. In tune with the brand’s signature grunge aesthetic, each of the looks by creative director Anthony Vaccarello took on a more gothic-chic approach. Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher, for example, sported a sleek olive green gown with a deep scoop neckline that was both minimalist and striking. Wednesday’s Christina Ricci also favoured the plunging neckline of a dark velvet robe, suitably reminiscent of Morticia Addams, which was then elevated with a low-hanging emerald necklace.

In the suit department, experimentation was key for Vaccarello. Italian actress and model Monica Bellucci stayed true to the typically gothic themes her partner Tim Burton explores for his own productions, sporting a velvet suit combo of a single-breasted jacket and overly flared pants. The aesthetic was further emphasised by the pairing of a ruffled shirt and black silk satin tie. Another play on tailoring was seen on Reece Feldman, whose tuxedo jacket and trousers came complete with a silk chiffon and satin scarf that trailed the floor.

Chanel was another to favour a more muted path. Its nominated ambassador, Daisy Jones & The Six’s Riley Keough, remained loyal to her relationship with the French brand, sporting a black organza dress for which the skirt layered over entirely beaded shorts. The look, which descended from Chanel’s Haute Couture SS23 collection, was fittingly similar to that of Priscilla Presley’s, Keough’s grandmother. Presley paired a black silk blouse with a wool and silk jacquard skirt, which had been styled with a range of the brand’s Tweed Cordage jewellery. Kirsten Dunst, however, brought a pop of colour to the group in a blue and burgundy chequered dress that was embellished with a bow-slash-train – another from the SS23 collection.

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